Fantasy [Closed] A nation in havoc

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan helped Ru walk with them as well as he could in his own rather weakened state, and the fire was more than welcome. Though it did little against the cold it would prevent them from becoming ice sculptures by morning. "I'm sure the ash will clear soon. The wind will dissipate it as it blows it away." Dan sighed. "I know the current situation hurts, Your Majesty, but we need a plan. Where should we go?"
Duke of Doge Rhaine Caffeine Freak

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia twirled the blade around before sheathing it. She didn't have a way to attach it to herself, so she settled for just carrying it. "Yeah, she's mine. I just gotta name her" she turned to Dan. "The ash is in the atmosphere, it'll take more than wind to bring it down. And..." she shrugged "I don't really know"
@youguysknowwhoyouare

 

[Rhaine]

Cassander's gaze didn't lift from the fire for a long while. He gave a slightly vacant shake of his head, as if responding to his own thought. "We can't stay here. That much is certain. We have no food - no water, and... if you don't mind me saying so, Miss," He glanced briefly at Ru, who was still taking shallow breaths through her cloth every few moments. His throat stretched and cracked with every word, forcing it to come out deeper than his usual tone, rasping. "Some of us won't last that much longer here. The ash is too thick in the air so close to the Red Mountain." Ru flushed, though it was hard to tell as her cheeks were already red from the cold. She didn't want to be a burden. Her gaze dropped, and she rubbed her hands shakily up and down her upper arms, attempting to bring heat deeper into them. Her movements where inneffective and weak. "The farther we are from here the better."

He paused. We could go home. The thought troubled him. His feelings on the matter were too mixed for comfort, but he couldn't shake the thought. It was logical. He knew they would be taken in easily.

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia nodded "I agree, we gotta get out. But it's a long walk, and I imagine horses are going to be hard to come by now" Nia sighed "The trip out of Dalania is far. And with recent events, banditry will be high. Its going to be cold, and tiring. But it's either that or stay here..." Nia was reluctant to leave home, but there wasn't much home left, that definitely narrows it down.
Rhaine Caffeine Freak TheCountryWarrior

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan sighed, which was difficult in the ashy air that flew around the party as they huddled around the campfire. He hadn't a clue as to what was going on anymore. Natural disasters? They happen. Bandits spawned by desperation? That happens too. Murderous demons?! That's new! And Dan hated that he couldn't do anything about it. Well... he could do one thing. "I can keep watch if you all want to sleep. I don't mind."
Duke of Doge Rhaine Caffeine Freak

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Samuel slid a arm under his head as he lay on his back, eyes on the canvas of swirling ash overhead. "Maybe we could head for some big city or something. Tell them what happened." Sam shifted onto his side "I mean, it's that or moving back in with Creepster Jones over there." A lazy gesture in the direction of the cave they had fled from.

Duke of Doge Rhaine TheCountryWarrior

 

[Rhaine]

Ru was quiet. Weariness held her close and stayed any thoughts from being voiced without extensive thought. "I agree." Her voice was warbling. "However tragic, there is nothing left here for any of us." Her eyes didn't stray from the fire. She understood the weight of her words, especially for Nia. This had been her home, her kingdom, and now it was a dark wasteland of ash and terror. Her blinks became more frequent, her eyes slipping closed for longer periods of time.

"Your Majesties, I believe it is imperative that your survival is made known. I am sure you are presumed dead, and that is in neither one of your favors."

Only then did her gaze lift, and she looked to each individual for a moment. "The journey will be long, but we have no other choice. My Prince, perhaps we should head for your homeland. I should think the Holy Calcian Empire has fared better than Dalania."

Cassander nodded. His thoughts had been spoken aloud, and now that Ru had brought the concern to light, he was sure that his family must think him dead. It was a strange thought. "I had considered it, yes."

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia looked at the fire as she spoke "The imperial city is a long way away. It is actually across the continent, we'd have to go through Dalania, Fenwood, and the Republic" she used her foot to clear off an area of the ground. Laying on her side facing the fire. "I never realized how cold it gets outside" she said shivering.
Rhaine TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan's heart sank at the prospect of trekking across the entire continent on foot, yet reminded himself that what happened along the way was unknown and hopefully they could join up with a trading caravan. "We can do it. I wanted to see the world at some point anyway." Rhaine Duke of Doge Caffeine Freak

 

[Rhaine]

Dan's words made Ru want to laugh, and the sound fell from her lips with a raw quality to it. This soon dissolved into a coughing fit, though her bearing still remained that of laughter. The fear and gravity of the situation, what she had seen and done in just the past couple of hours, bloomed through her in the form of laughter. The alternative was to weep until she couldn't cry another tear. Laughter was a more favorable alternative.

She fell on to her back, soon coming into an odd sort of silence. The ground was hard and cold. She was still shivering without relent. "So did I." Her voice was quiet, almost sad, despite her having laughed only a moment ago. She looked to Dan at her side, remembering his earlier comment. "You kept watch through half the night. You should sleep." Her teeth chattered and gave a tremble to her words. Her voice carried a lighter pitch than usual, as if she were drifting into sleep. She concentrated on the brush of heat the fire provided.

Cassander sat by the fire, finally able to come to a resting position. He cast a concerned glance to Nia. "We should all stay close tonight, even with the fire. I'll have none of you freezing to death." His words carried distance. His mind was somewhere else.

He had used magic in those caverns. He had turned the mangled man to stone, and then to rubble with just a wave of his hand. He couldn't conceive it now, though in the moment it had seemed natural. His body felt as if a great pressure had been released. He was loose, and his bones almost felt hollow. If he were to voice what had happened aloud, he wouldn't have even believed himself. Yet, he wasn't the only one who saw. Nia had seen it as well. Had it been real? Had he imagined it? What did he know for certain?

"I can take watch. I don't particularly feel like sleeping."

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan grew increasingly worried as Ru's laughter turned to a powerful coughing fit. She probably wouldn't last much longer in this ashy weather. He could still hear the laughter in her cough though, and this cheered Dan a bit. Suddenly feeling quite tired at the proposal of sleep he leaned against the wall of the rock that made up their temporary shelter, and nodded at the Prince, arms crossed in a casual manner. "If you don't mind Your Majesty. Sleep sounds good about now." Dan closed his eyes, and waited for sleep to overtake him.
Duke of Doge Rhaine Caffeine Freak

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia sat up, walking over to Ru as she took off her cloak and put it on Ru wordlessly. That cloak was a gift from her mother, she just gave it to someone else to keep warm.
Nia sat back down. Pulling out her rapier and looking at the blade, her face was blank as she looked at her reflection as she was deep in thought. After a time her lip quivered and a few tears came down her cheeks. The events of the day were catching up to her.
Rhaine TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak

 

[Rhaine]

Ru was surprised by the feeling of smooth fabric being draped over her form. Her eyes had been closed, though they now opened to see the Princess above her. She gave a soft, heartfelt smile, not accepting the gift lightly. "Thank you, Nia." It was the first time she had spoken her name without a title before it. The significance was intentional, and she hoped it wouldn't be rebuffed. Ru did consider them friends. She grasped the fabric with shaky hands, pulling it tightly over her, eyes slipping closed once more.

Cassander watched Nia drape her cloak over Ru. His heart ached. His dark eyes followed the red-haired girl as she sat back down. Something more stirred in him when he spied tears slip down her cheeks. He crept closer without thought, wrapping an arm around her and bringing her close. He half expected her to recoil, given what she had seen that night. Still, his grasp was firm and his intention was to console. She was a small bit of where he had grown up. Echoes of the palace and city now lost resonated from her. The close contact warmed him.

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"Calcian Empire it is." Samuel exclaimed half heatedly, shifting a little closer to the fire. "What could possibly go wrong?" He added with a yawn, stretching his prone limbs toward the comforting heat.

@y'allknowwhoitis

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia recoiled a bit, before slowly moving back to her position. Wiping tears away as she spoke softly "Cass." she looked at him with a bittersweet smile. "Thank you." Nia rested her head on his shoulder, smile ever present as she drifted off to sleep in a matter of minutes.
Rhaine TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak
(My phone auto corrects the tags now XD)

 

[Rhaine]

Even with the Princess' cloak tucked tight over her, Ru shivered slightly. She fell asleep without difficulty, too weary to stay awake another moment. She was curled in on herself, lying on her side. Dark strands of her hair fell in her face. She looked very young in sleep with her features smooth and relaxed. She dreamt of fire. She dreamt of heat. Her chest rose and fell shallowly.

Cassander returned Nia's smile with an affected one of his own. He didn't speak. He didn't need to. When she lay her head against his shoulder, he shifted slightly, lightly resting his head against hers. Heat bloomed between them and fought back the cold. It was relief, though it meant the cold could no longer hold complete dominance over his thoughts. His mind wandered, and his dark eyes never rested, traveling amongst the dark that surrounded them. This time, he didn't have trouble staying awake. He was sharp and resolute. He didn't waver.

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak

 

[Uasal]

Clair had been deep within the cavern working upon keeping the gas line flowing, just as she had promised to do. However, it was not as easy as it should have been. You see Clair had installed numerous upgrades within the bunker a few years ago and while the majority of those were still in pristine condition, those that had remained from the years predating that were not so well prepared for actual use. And well the reason Clair was having problems with the gas flow was because something 'old' had been caught up within one of the pipes.

Now Clair originally thought it would be a simple job to remove what ever lay within but unfortunately that was not the case. If Clair wanted to dislodge the debris she would first have to cut off the gas and to do that, well she'd have to return to the main door. Mind you that was a long walk! None the less Clair began to trek back to the door.

Upon her return to the main room Clair couldn't help but notice several bodies scattered upon the floor and strangely enough there was also the remnants of a statue. With her guards near and nobody around to be seen Clair began searching and after quite some time she finally came back across the princess and her party. Well she didn't find them per say however she did see what seemed to be them in the distance. Of course with the events that had unfolded it could have been anyone, however, Clair held onto what little hope she had and pushed on.

By the time the group had set up camp Clair had reached the base of the hills and it took her about an hour to reach the encampment after that. Unsure of how to approach the scene Clair moved slowly leaving her guards at a distance to show peace, she was unsure of how the group viewed her and as a result she needed to take every precaution necessary. "Princess Nia, I'm unsure of my current standing with you but I mean no harm. If I could explain myself to you personally that would probably clear a lot of things up. I know it may seem suspicious that I was not with you at the time of the assault but trust me there was a reason behind it!"
Duke of Doge Rhaine TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak
(apologies for the more than late reply, I had some unexpected things come up and I had to deal with them)

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia shuffled a bit in her sleep. "Hmm cookies" she mumbled before nestling back into sleep.

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan writhed around with restlessness as sleep eluded him. Too much had happened in the past hours. He did eventually find sleep, though it was fitful, with visions of death, his mothers death and his sisters' deaths. His brothers' deaths too but he didn't mind that part. He didn't hear the Tinker yelling out.
Rhaine Uasal Caffeine Freak Duke of Doge

 

[Rhaine]

Cassander gave a slightly amused smile at Nia's murmuring, keeping her close. He turned his dark gaze back to the woman, gesturing with his free hand to the ground by the fire. "Sit down. You must be weary. I'm sure the Princess will have more to say when she wakes." His words were light, hushed so as not to disturb any of the sleeping party.

Time was passing smoothly, and though Nia was warm and soft, he had no trouble fighting sleep. Keeping watch was a serious position, especially here and now, and he was too frightened to sleep after his last night terror. He did wonder where Clair had been during all the chaos. There was a slightly wary look to his gaze as he remained focused on her.

Uasal Duke of Doge

 

[Caffeine Freak]

[Some time later]

Samuel groaned, throwing an arm over his blinded eyes. "F-Five more minutes..." He rolled over, the deviant ray of sunshine that struck him in the face quickly gobbled back up by the swirling ash cloud overhead.
Reluctantly, Samuel managed to hoist himself upwards - head pulsing as he did so. He let out another groan as he opened one eye, the events of the night prior flooding back to him. The previously roaring fire was now a smoldering pile of dust, Sam plucked a long stick out of it and began prodding his unconscious companions. "If I'm suffering, ya'll suffering with me." He muttered cruelly, still bitter after being woken up.

Duke of Doge Rhaine TheCountryWarrior Uasal

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia's eyes snapped open and she snatched the stick out of Samuel's hand, stood up, and started hitting him back.. "Don't!" Whack "You!" Whack "Ever!" Whack "wake me up unless I say so!" She reeled back and threw the stick into the distance, then laid back down. "I am NOT a morning person." Nia's outburst didn't help everyone else stay sleeping, but Nia's sweet and prescious slumber was ruined by someone in a rude manner. She could not let that go unpunished.
Rhaine TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak Uasal

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan groaned and stretched on the ground, still propped up against the wall. "Ugh, Sam haven't you ever heard the saying 'suffer in silence' and 'suffering builds character' and 'shut the hell up!'. I made up that last one!" He was clearly not happy to be woken up with a stick. "Well said your Majesty, well said." Dan proceeded to check his gear (his firearm and a sword he picked up after the altercation with the bandits) and, seeing as all were in working order, he stood up.
Rhaine Duke of Doge Caffeine Freak Uasal

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Sam recoiled, feebly bracing himself against the onslaught of stick whacks. "You weren't exactly in a position to give me permission, sleeping beauty." He huffed, rubbing at his forearms. Refusing to be defeated, Samuel grasped a lengthy twig from the earth and continued his vengeful wakeup call on the rest.


Rhaine Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior Uasal

 

[Rhaine]

Ru made a soft sound of protest as Samuel attempted to wake her up. She buried her face further against her arm, her hand weakly attempting to wave him off. She gave a few muffled coughs, shifting all the same. The rather loud voices of the souls surrounding her didn't help her maintain the deep sleep she had only been able to reach a couple hours ago. Coming to lay on her other side, a brief bit of sun found her face. A high-pitched complaint in Elvish left her lips as she covered her face with the Princess' cloak. It almost sounded like a curse.

Cassander chuckled quietly at the antics of Nia and Samuel. His voice was thick and deep with weariness, yet he was pleasantly awake all the same. He looked to Dan with a bit of humor in his tone. "Haven't you ever heard the phrase, 'misery loves company?' All the same, I concur with you and Nia. I think we've all earned a bit of mercy."

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak Uasal